1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a suction hose assembly for an upright type vacuum cleaner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an upright type vacuum cleaner has a suction brush 20 as shown in FIG. 1, which is movably disposed on a body 10 of the cleaner to move along a surface to be cleaned during a cleaning operation. The interior of the cleaner body 10 is partitioned into an upper dust collecting chamber and a lower motor driving chamber. In the dust collecting chamber, a dust filter is removably disposed, while a motor is disposed in the motor driving chamber.
In the general upright type vacuum cleaner constructed as above, when the motor is driven, a strong suction force is generated by the suction brush 20, drawing in air and contaminants from the surface to be cleaned, for example, dust and dirt. Accordingly, the air and the contaminants are drawn into the cleaner body 10 through action of the suction brush 20. The drawn in air is discharged into the motor driving chamber through the dust filter disposed in the dust collecting chamber of the cleaner body 10. As the air passes through the dust filter, the contaminants like dust and dirt are filtered out by the dust filter, while the air discharged out through the motor driving chamber is relatively free of contaminants.
Meanwhile, the general upright type vacuum cleaner as described above also has a suction hose assembly 30, that is usually a provided in conjunction with the suction brush 20, to clean hard to reach places that are inaccessible to the suction brush 20 to clean, for example, recesses, doorframes, window frames, or the like.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the suction hose assembly 30 has a flexible hose 40 connected to an air inlet of the cleaner body 10 with one end thereof, a suction pipe 50, connected to the other end of the flexible hose 40 with one end thereof and selectively connected to an extension hose 21 adjacent the suction brush 20 with the other end thereof, and a connection means 60 that movably connects the suction pipe 50 to the flexible hose 40 so that the suction pipe 50 may be rotated with respect to the flexible hose 40 in a rotary motion.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connection means 60 includes a pair of connection protrusions 61 formed on an outer circumference of one end of the suction pipe 50, the protrusions 61 extending in a circumferential direction, and being spaced from each other in a lengthwise direction by a predetermined distance, and a pair of corresponding connection grooves 62 formed on the inner circumference of one end of the flexible hose 40 to correspond to the connection protrusions 61. The connection protrusions 61 are received in the connection grooves 62, and the flexible hose 40 and the suction pipe 50 are movably engaged with each other to relatively rotate, one within the other.
During normal use, the suction brush 20 of the general upright type vacuum cleaner constructed as above, and as shown in FIG. 1, has one end of the suction pipe 50 connected to the extension hose 21, thereby forming an air passage. When the suction hose assembly 30 is used to clean hard to reach places, the suction pipe 50 is separated from the connection with the extension hose 21 of the suction brush 20, to enable it to be used for the cleaning operation. Since the suction pipe 50 is movably engaged with the flexible hose 40 so that the flexible hose 40 may rotate relative to each other in a rotary direction by the engagement of the connection protrusions 61 and the connection grooves 62 of the connection means 60. While the flexible hose 40 may rotate, the suction pipe 50 does not easily separate from the flexible hose 40, allowing a user to conveniently clean the hard to reach places by moving the suction pipe 50.
In the general upright type vacuum cleaner, as constructed above, however, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flexible hose 40 is engaged with the suction pipe 50 in such a manner that the contact surface 63a between the pair of connection grooves 62 of the flexible hose 40 and the contact surface 63b between the pair of connection protrusions 61 are in full contact. Such a considerably large contact area causes large frictional resistance, which hinders the smooth relative rotational movement of the suction pipe 50, and inconveniences the user.
The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a suction hose assembly of an upright type vacuum cleaner which enables a smooth relative rotational movement of the suction pipe by minimizing the frictional resistance through a reduction of a contact area between the flexible hose and the suction pipe.
The above object is accomplished by providing a suction hose assembly of an upright type vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, including a flexible hose connected to an air inlet of a cleaner body with one end thereof, a suction pipe connected to the other end of the flexible hose with one end thereof, and connected to an extension hose of the suction brush with the other end thereof; connection means for movably connecting the suction pipe to the flexible hose so that the suction pipe can rotate relative to the flexible hose in a rotational direction.
The connection means includes one or a pair of connection protrusions formed on an outer circumference of one end of the suction pipe and if two, spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; one or a pair of corresponding connection grooves formed on an inner circumference of one end of the flexible hose to receive each connection protrusion; and at least one guide protrusion provided to be positioned between a contact surface defined between or adjacent the connection protrusions, and a circumferential contact surface defined between the connection grooves, so as to reduce the area of contact defined between the contact surfaces and thereby reduce frictional contact to allow relative rotational motion.
By providing the guide protrusions in a circumferential direction between the suction pipe contact area and the flexible hose contact area, the suction pipe and the flexible hose are movably connected relative to each other on the area of the guide protrusions only. Accordingly, the contact surface between the suction pipe and the flexible hose is greatly decreased, and the frictional resistance between the suction pipe and the flexible hose is also decreased. As a result, the suction pipe can more easily slide within and rotate relative to the flexible hose in a rotational direction.
It is preferable to provide two guide protrusions. The guide protrusions can be formed on the suction pipe contact area in a circumferential direction, or can be formed on the flexible hose contact area in a circumferential direction.